Canal It Up
We aim for clean plastic-free waterways in Brussels where nature has its place
City to Ocean
Canal It Up changed name but we still aim for clean plastic-free waterways where nature has its place
IS THERE A PROBLEM?
Yes. The canal and the river Senne in Brussels have to face a constant stream of trash, a lack of nature and a bad water quality, which means they also have a negative impact on the waterways and seas downstream.
HOW DO WE WANT TO INTERVENE?
RAISING AWARENESS
Every week we organize kayaking trips on the canal for new volunteers to fish trash our of the water.
GREENING THE CANAL
We propose to give nature its place back in the canal to transform it into a green and pleasant environment for people and animals through the installation of vegetalised islands.
INSTALLING A TRASH BARRIER, PLINTHS ALONG THE CANAL AND THE INTRODUCTION OF THE DEPOSIT SYSTEM
We are currently working on the installation of a permanent structure, to be placed close to the Molenbeek lock, to stop the trash and take it out of the water. We also advocate the introduction of a deposit on cans and plastic bottles and propose installing plinths that would prevent waste from ending up in the water.
IMPROVING WATER QUALITY
Tackling the problem of the sewage overflows would allow to drasically improve the water quality of the canal.
RECYCLING
We develop creative solutions to recycle the trash collected in the canal.
Join us at our CONFERENCE on waste management and reduction
Germany has the world’s most successful deposit return system for cans and plastic bottles, Prague envisions a waste-free city with underground waste containers and trucks equipped with smart sensors, Paris is in the process of implementing a new French law (AGEC) to avoid waste at the source, Stockholm collects and transports waste through vacuum tubes, and Brussels has inaugurated new waste centers with a focus on the reuse of materials.
Canal It up changed its name into City to ocean!
But why would we do that? Canal It Up is a name that is difficult to understand, and we noticed that people had trouble remembering it.
Moreover, our ambition extends beyond just the canal and the Senne in Brussels. Everything we do wrong or improve in the waterways of a city has an impact downstream, all the way to the sea and even the ocean.
For us, it is also a renewal of our commitment to continue striving for clean and green waterways.
Disconnect your roof: Be part of the solution
Do you live in Brussels with a terrace or a garden and want to install a rainwater harvesting tank or a rain garden to protect waterways?
Sign up now to be among the potential candidates for the free installation of a rainwater tank (with or without a swale)!
- LIVE OVERFLOW UPDATE
Retrieving data...
Sewage overflows are one of the main reasons why the water quality of Brussels waterways isn’t good. Several times per month when it rains polluted sewage water flows into the Senne and the canal. Here you can see a live overflow update and the number of overflows of last month.
NUMBER OF OVERFLOWS LAST MONTH
Sainctelette: November 2024
SEWAGE DISCHARGE METER
Sainctelette: Overflow events in February 2023
Every month we count the number of days the Sainctelette and Maelbeek overflows are activated and publish the results here. These numbers are to be compared to the current Flemish standard according to which an overflow can only function 7 days per year. The overflows in Brussels exceed this annual amount almost every single month. Three overflows in particular are responsible for 75% of the discharged volume into the Senne and the canal.
News & events
Your pictures can end double packaging
Summer action – Let’s mingle
RTBF – Alors on change in our kayaks!
Just a cool video report by RTBF Vews
World Cleanup Day – Join us !
BX1 joins us in August
The Bulletin & the Deposithon
BRUZZ talks about the Deposithon
We are back on the water! Join us!
SAY NO TO PLASTIC, did you already try to?
Jommeke and Bruzz at World Cleanup Day 2020
World Cleanup Day – September 20
Canal It Up at Bx1 studio
Spotted by Flair!
We’re in Paris Match!
We love Brussels talks about us
Canal it up in Het Laatste Nieuws
Staycation report by Bruzz
In the spotlight of the VRT
Bring green to the city
Cost of plastic pollution in Belgium
Karrewiet paid us a visite
Bruzz Shoot
The plastic spotters
Plastic fishing in Brussels canal is just your thing?.
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Plastic fishing in Brussels canal is just your thing?
Subscribe to our newsletter
to stay informed about our future actions and our progress towards clean and green waterways